The invention relates to a multipurpose hand-held implement, in particular for office work, which in a stored position forms an elongate, essentially closed parallelepipedic body which is delimited by front surfaces, top surfaces and lateral surfaces and has functional elements of a stapler and/or a hole puncher, and is provided with at least one insertion slot, which runs inward from one of the front surfaces, for material which is to be stapled or punched.
Such a hand-held implement forms the subject-matter of our earlier European Patent Application 96927627.8, which was not published before the priority date. The implement described in that document comprises a first member and a second member which are connected to one another in an articulated manner and the relative movement of which actuates a stapler and a hole puncher. Furthermore, various utensils, such as knives, cutters, scissors and so on, which are preferably accommodated in a slidingly movable manner in channels of the implement and are pushed out of these channels in order to be used, are provided on or in the implement. For stability reasons, these sliding guides have to be of relatively solid design, which makes the implement relatively large and heavy.
The object of the invention is to provide an implement of the type outlined in the introduction which, while being highly stable, is relatively lightweight and small.
The way in which this object is achieved can be gathered from patent claim 1.
The invention also relates to modules which are suitable, as assemblies, for the implement according to claim 1.
The invention additionally relates to a stapler mechanism which is suitable for use in the implement according to the invention.
Finally, the invention relates to a hole puncher mechanism which is suitable for use in the implement according to the invention. The invention also relates to an implement of the construction mentioned in the introduction in the case of which a sliding utensil is provided in addition to swing-out utensils.